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comment by briandmyers
briandmyers  ·  3418 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Ayn Rand: Why is she so popular?

I just finished "Catcher in the Rye". I was reminded of it because it was mentioned in "11/22/63" in the context of school library censorship. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but definitely the worst in a good long time. I don't mind an asshole protagonist, but only if he's got something interesting to say. Yeah sure, youth alienation, absent parenting, and disillusionment with the American Dream are important themes, but it just wasn't well done IMO.

It seems to me that the only reason this book is famous is because at the time it came out, the juvenile delinquency and the use of the word "fuck" made it controversial and gave it a lot of free press.